New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-11-13
HOME AUTHORS DRIVEN OUT.
THE PIRATES HAVE RUINED THE MARKET
4 TALK WITH HENRY HOLT on THE EVILS OF TIE
INT ENATIoNAL COPYRIGHT LAW

have II carefully examined It may aS "oh l''o !"
Won beforehand that the chances Of an unhho"n
American author are exceedingly gloomy now The
uarjct IL ovcr,iochrd with cheap reprints OF foreign
works, and they como absorbing the attention Oh
the reading public 49,
spch was the greeting Of leading publisher IN TINS
city recently to young man who went TO MIN 10
consult about the publication OF Work
ATrlnI-, T. reporter wa, told frankly by the MeSsS'
prtnam. Charles scribn"r's Sons. Henry Holt and
otlc, that n Is not only true that numbeIlcss prom
i.in, manuscripts by young American writers arc
rejected solely iecause Of the gut Of cheap reprints
Lnt that some OF the publisher, have actually given
order, that no manuscript ly an unknown nattVc
writer shall lc opened Henry Holt busy prcraI-
inc to 20 abroad for the winter, but owing TO his keen
and earnest interest I'm the subject Of international
corvri-h be- gave an Interview Of which the following
IS abstract.
"Ycs" said Mr.. Holt. our young writer's arc being
crowded TO the all by the wholesale piracy Of foreign
works Tiers has been rapl and tremendous falling
of I'm the demand for books during the last ten years
and distinct revolution In favor Of periodicals a
AGAINST book. has taken place You may have noticed
that these cheap plraical series appear as regular
periodicals. T., ih, system they get he advantage OF
cheap rate, Of postage Ike magazines and newsl apcrS.
rHE RoOK-BrYING UAHtr v EIBrND.
"Tcn years arc there book buying habit which
wa, a good en-" hccanSe II led 10 book recalling Tho
favnic dissipation then Of many substantial citizen
was drop into bookstore In The evening. look over
-, ,,. - ,,, ,,,.,,,.,, ,o,., NOW dfs,rrc,rcf
49, nt ~ n,,,,,,~e The cbcan rar,r roycrcd
,t. , ,,,.d I, , ,,,oIi,,,. me- t,ro and the
,.. ,,ai,, ,, ,oorcr rot orIv hv its loss but bv
IN, los, Of the good book which should have been
bought In It's place.
~I is | believe. owing chiefly lack of an In
tcrpaional copyright law that authorship I, not
Icctlnc pace with our growth in other spccts. We
u of Irving and IiiN-
,t.r,c Noilcy and Lon-frlov Eryant and Emerson,
- For ,.,tainly prot, sing ,utlo9. are not am c9r-
Inc a, r,b plnl,r~ ~, o,ir pro.c, wonld Justify and
what &, vo,.o not nsnch Numbers It; The future healthy
growth 81 orr civilization demands.
"our literature &, losing if, grip all round ana II Is
Wei for ~ io ponder TIE causes when nave drought
u to this condition. II is simply case "i rifIbni"h
W. have been lafe'ns behind other nations !" "h'' U.s.
perhaps. TIE most Significant step ihai 'FH/il"h mas
set tdLrn-l mean the recognition "i ini ''c'hai prop
crty. We alone have given np protection within or
hurd"rs to Do" literature % other nations ana aS a
PENALTY for This III regard OF ihc ush, of others oar
avn literature i, uow lc.ns uu lcImiucl
tn 10 within ten years american publishers re-
,rccf.d the rht, ~ foreign auLors ~ a custom ale !
trade courtesy though ti'r' uo la@ to support
them 600 dliu.. The point oi ti, Gus om was ihai
when One publ os lr,s-t out a -itcr work the others
lot 70 alone Experience Dee, proven that where the
authors property IS u.t rioterfrl Ay copyright. com
Ie.rro,. IT,, value IT, author and publisher al'Ac. II
come. about in fhi. way. \ certain nuwl'r Of loos
must ID, ..iI i.f,r, fLc ro.f q ttfc-rtfn- can poe
hi''t '' SUM '''''' '' 10 -
PAD. ana 10 I'D" case '' nineteen ''""' o. 0" '"'''
they un Pee soil Nl iu f'v MONTH, or ldfi.'all"i
- .., ,..i.i.. .,,..,.l,, ,,.,, fr,rn
-, - ~ t, .
them. IL Nv" P'N' ''' 'I' ''l' i '
,, D., .,il a., ia, c,.t c,.f Iui t,r -al, &. NOT apt
,, ., g.. t.,f . ,,,,.i.
{" u" forced mp '' "'''' OF even 10 nan az ''',
down \ los :, certain ln most cases. The a"i""'
making nothing. Nh" publisher making h''"n', '"'
pubic lllcs'Imal''S u'H''''u at '"' 'Nl."'' VI '"
CrrArNrss III ENVE 90 coon WHITING.
"Norrovcr the price, ~ book, cannot lc regulated,
oven IA the absence Il uIre'tIuatc competition. HE
i,. -Df nail. ard sugar ON tr ha-i, of rrchanca al
COS, 81 Production ~ lools hy uircd Authors. not
ON, IN n,c mako. a profit. aul even of books hJ ap
pr,rri authors not ali SIRE to succeed demand
for moro book, cannot b. brought about by madne the
rflr. nf all cv .opflouall, low Tho one book I'm I've
mat people want they viii pay reasonable price FOR
IA, r.,t the, won't have any price. And, as mo-
hum being tell In which book Of five BY
author, Is going to succeed. tho only way f. make
10 possible % publish them an is to plaza tie price Of
all ~ such lsurr that the one which succeeds VIII
pay the los. on the rest
The tvcriy I've years - virtual inicrnatou, copy
right D, tr.lr courtesy. frin i--i 70 l-7p vcrc hy
al odd. i host tucpf, Eve wear, Of American ntrra.
,prc ny a judicial decision the author, right to a
,-f,,r,,o,, a. fla, .,,,, H. ,cr.I to -, ipyiola,c The
I ~ 49, '
FOREIGN playvrlch's manuscript is lrlt 10 be his own
property ln-i as much ds his watch ana IN inc Same
way Do, night Zoo n Is protected ana others arr PR
vented from taking any Hlcric, with IT, ny arc
PLAY projected and moi ho"hr Nnir tue 'H"i me
stage b, our-hins ME me BOOK irau' y
People VIII" object 10 giving dollar ara hAlt i"f y
good book that VIII Last Tor years MINK "lnh~ VI
paving That price Tor single c'rnhS n ne 'hr''t
" Under tho competition OF these stolen goods Inc
sales Of books hy American authors have iillrn OFT
about thirds. and n IS dangerous for publishers
In, La lao al nf
most worthy uf The new candidates.
EVEN PlH\CN HASH PAID.
at may naturally be- wondered why. II the pirates
,, -, ,.,..,. ,.,,,itii,., t., ,,f. f,,uduIc,t way
'""lh W'h' h""S P""'''''"r y" ''"' "'"'"'''' ~ ,
ihN authorized Publisher cnuld not do Tue ShW'' III
ia, first plare only one or two Of tic pirates have
-, ..,... t.,.. ,.,,,t mo-, 81, ,I,r, ,t
H'''' H'""S' INV "'"'' Jaw '''' ' " NV
least Twice hUt S'HlhS DOORS Al r"iho"S prices '''
~. ola